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Town or country?

After growing up in suburbia, as a youngster I couldn't wait to live in the city, but I only planned to stay for 18 months or so. Work sucked me in but, nearly two decades later, London life took its toll and I moved abroad. That wasn't right for me either, and now I'm happily settled in the countryside, although I'd love to live close to the sea one day… proof, perhaps, that the grass is always greener elsewhere?

Where did you grow up? And are you now a city slicker or do you prefer life in the sticks?

I spent my teens living in the Wiltshire countryside and spent a lot of time with friends who had a farm locally. I even used to drive a tractor (which I managed to reverse into a deep ditch once, but that's another story!)

When I left Wiltshire and moved to London, I lived right in the centre for years: Paddington, then Bloomsbury, then Covent Garden. It was amazing to be in the thick of everything but we outgrew our (gorgeous, cheap) one-bedroomed flat by the time we had a toddler and were planning another baby.

So, having loved being in the countryside and loved being in the city, we're now happily ensconced in what I would have considered suburbia as a teen. If leafy North London counts as suburbia. I'm quite happy to live in a peaceful street with a park over the road and the city or countryside both half an hour away. My teenage self would probably have deemed our location very uncool but I love it and think we have the best of both worlds!

London has become so busy and crowded now I hanker to move to some smaller town somewhere. I'm not sure exactly where to go, but I would love to get away from the madness of the city. The centre of London feels as if it's just full of tourists and is just so expensive. I like the friendliness of small towns around Manchester where I grew up. Not sure if for work reasons whether I will be able to move soon, but it would be a thrill if it did happen.

Know exactly what you mean @livvi - I love the buzz of London when I visit once or twice a year, but the sheer volume of people can be overwhelming and I'm always happy to leave once I've had my fix. Hope you find what you're looking for one day :)

Interesting question. I think you can have the best of both worlds - on the edge of a market town, with good facilities, transport links and countryside on the doorstep.

A lot depends on your age and circumstances - living in the middle of nowhere might work for some people but most of us want to be within easy reach of shops, stations and leisure facilities. I'd love to know how many of the people who leave London in search of rural bliss end up regretting it.